Page 82 of City of Sin (Men of Manhattan 1)

Sleep with rich men for one night? Slut! I shook the thought away. I refused to stand still anymore. I wanted to live again. I walked up the stone steps.

"Good evening, ma'am." The doorman said as he opened it.

I had spent so much time standing still that I had become a ma'am instead of a miss. "Good evening," I said and walked into the building. The entrance was breathtaking. The floor was marble. And all the walls were adorned with mirrors with gold accents. I instantly felt out of place in my worn wool coat and boots that were knock offs of Steve Madden. And where was I supposed to go? I pulled out my phone.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" The man at the front desk asked.

I should have called Mason while I was still outside. This was awkward. I put my phone back in my pocket and walked up to the front desk. "Hi, sorry, yes. I have plans with Mason Caldwell. Dinner plans. Nothing weird. He lives here somewhere. In the building. Not the hotel part. The condo part I think? I just don't know what room his is." What the hell was that? Does he know I'm here for sex?

"You're here for Mr. Caldwell?"

"Yes?" Why did I just say that as a question? "Yes, I'm here for Mr. Caldwell."

The man frowned. "One moment please." He lifted up the phone and pressed a few numbers. "Mr. Caldwell, there is a young woman at the front desk who is here to see you." There was a pause before he continued. "She doesn't seem like the normal..." He had clearly been cut off. "Oh." He cleared his throat. "Sorry. Very well, sir. Have a good evening."

I didn't seem like the normal what? Women he usually dated? I probably wasn't. Mason was rich and I was just me.

"Sorry for the confusion, ma'am. I will need to see your I.D., though."

I wanted to ask why. But I didn't want to seem out of place. Maybe visitors always had to show their I.D.'s at fancy places. I pulled my driver's license out of my purse. It still said I lived in Delaware. I hadn't taken the time to switch everything over yet.

"Bridget Cowan?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Very well." He hit a bell on the front desk and a bellboy magically appeared. Magically because I hadn't seen him before and there didn't seem to be any doors nearby. "Adam will take you up to Mr. Caldwell." He handed me my driver's license back. "Sorry again about the confusion."

"What exactly was the confusion?"

"Nothing, ma'am. Have a good evening." He looked away from me, even though I was standing right there. Oh my God, did he think I was a prostitute?

I quickly walked over to Adam who was waiting by the elevator. When we stepped on there was actually elevator music. Like in all the old movies I used to watch with my mom. But I wasn't really focused on the ornate details. I turned toward Adam. "What kind of women does Mr. Caldwell usually entertain?"

Adam turned away from me. "Mr. Caldwell doesn't usually entertain."

I laughed.

Adam looked uncomfortable. He probably hadn't lied. The women that came to Mason probably entertained him, not the other way around.

"How often does he have visitors?" I asked.

"I don't know, ma'am. I'm only part-time."

"I see. Who was the last visitor that you escorted up to see him?"

Adam seemed relieved. "His brother came over a week or so ago."

"Oh." Mason had told me he hadn't gone to an

y of those clubs or anything since we had met. So maybe that meant no late night visitors too. Maybe the guy at the front desk just thought I didn't look like a normal guest at Trump International. It really seemed like he thought I didn't look like one of Mason's normal hookers though.

But it didn't matter either way. I wasn't going to get in my own head tonight. It was time I enjoyed myself. This was what single people did. Especially single girls who really wanted to start dating the man they were about to see. Stop it.

Chapter 46

Mason

I opened up the lid to one of the pans on the stove and oil splashed onto my t-shirt. "Shit." I quickly pulled off my shirt and tossed it onto the floor. I didn't know why I had offered to cook. I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Dinner didn't really matter, though. Tonight was only about one thing. And we both knew it. But it was more than just sex to me. I needed to hold out until she begged me. If I could stick to the game plan, I could have her for as long as I wanted. Which meant she most likely had to eat this meal before I fucked her. Hopefully it was edible.

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